


The Dress

by ShayneyL



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: Episode: s03e21 Before and After, Harry Kim/Linnis Paris - Freeform, Kes/Tom Paris - Freeform, Multi, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-23
Updated: 2019-12-23
Packaged: 2021-02-18 02:15:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21920164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShayneyL/pseuds/ShayneyL
Summary: Kes helps her daughter prepare for her wedding.
Comments: 6
Kudos: 11
Collections: Star Trek Secret Santa 2019





	The Dress

**Author's Note:**

> My [Star Trek Secret Santa 2019](https://startreksecretsanta.tumblr.com/) gift for outerspace-iiinnerspace. 
> 
> She requested "Anything with Kes," but no NSFW, bloody or gorey stuff, or angst. 
> 
> So this is set in the "Before and After" timeline, where Kes lives a long, happy and full life on _Voyager_.

The gown was stunning.

"It's beautiful." Linnis touched the gleaming gems that decorated the yoke of the dress. 

"It's the prettiest thing I've ever seen," Naomi said. She was wearing a pretty dress herself — the one she would wear as maid of honor at the wedding. Kes wanted to see how the dresses looked together. 

Naomi was a little young for the position, but she was Linnis' best friend. Linnis had turned out to be more Ocampa than human, at least when it came to development. Kes smiled, remembering how young Linnis had followed Naomi around the ship, admiring the older girl. Somewhere along the line, their dynamic had flipped, with Naomi tagging along after Linnis. Naomi was still a child, while Linnis was an adult, getting married. Where had the time gone?

Kes smoothed the folds of the long skirt, and adjusted the silk train. It was simple but lovely. And absolutely nothing like what her practical daughter usually wore. "I'm glad you like it. Your father really wants to see you get married in an old-fashioned, 20th century Earth-style dress."

"But isn't it a waste of resources?" Linnis asked. "It's so extravagant, for something I'm only going to wear once."

"It's a special occasion. It's worth it. You can save it for your daughter or granddaughter to wear for her wedding."

"Or me!" Naomi said.

"Or you," Kes agreed. 

"Why didn't you save your wedding dress for me?" Linnis asked.

"I didn't really have one," Kes said. "We got married in the middle of the Year of Hell. _Voyager_ had no resources to spare. I borrowed a dress from Megan Delaney. Your father wore his dress uniform. We splurged by replicating some champagne, and Neelix made us a wedding dinner with minimal leola root, which was reason enough to celebrate."

"I thought you liked leola root."

"Nobody likes leola root," Kes said. "Don't tell Neelix I said that. It would hurt his feelings."

Linnis and Naomi exchanged glances, giggling. "Your secret's safe with us," Linnis said.

"Now, what kind of shoes should we replicate to go with the dress?"

"Why does it matter?" Linnis said. "The skirt's so long no one will see my feet."

"You cannot wear your Starfleet-issue boots under your wedding dress," Kes said. "Your father would never forgive me. Besides, people will see your shoes." She hesitated. "There's an earth custom where the groom removes the bride's garter, and throws it. The man who catches it is supposed to be the next to get married." 

"What's a garter?" Naomi asked.

"This." Kes opened a drawer, pulling out the frilly item Tom had replicated. 

Naomi and Linnis examined it. "It has your initials on it," Naomi said. _HSLK_ and _LBKP_ were embroidered in green and pink thread. 

"What's it for?" Linnis asked.

"It's a garment meant to hold stockings up," Kes said. She'd had to look it up. "The one worn at weddings is just decorative, though. Your stocking won't fall down."

"Stocking? I have to wear stockings, too? And Harry's going to take them off?" 

"Just the garter, not your stockings." 

Linnis rolled her eyes. 

"Linnis, sweetie...just because Dad wants a big, old-fashioned wedding doesn't mean that's what you have to have. It's your wedding. If you want a small private ceremony instead, he'll get over it."

"No, it's fine," Linnis said. "Really, I don't care. We could have a Betazoid nude wedding, with raw leola root for the wedding feast, and I would be happy as long as I get to marry Harry."

Naomi made a face. Clearly, she found the idea of a wedding without pretty clothes and special food unappealing. 

"Good," Kes said. "I think the reason your father wants a fancy wedding for you is that he never got one himself. You're making him very happy. But you don't have do everything he wants."

"Is he really happy?" Linnis asked. "He's always saying mean things about Harry."

"Oh, Linnis, that's just how they are. Your dad and Harry have been best friends since they met. He loves Harry, and is thrilled he's joining the family. Just don't expect him to admit it."

"He threatened to get Harry so drunk he'll miss the wedding." 

Tom, Harry, and some others were currently having a bachelor party on the holodeck. Despite Tom's promise that it would be wild enough to be banned on Risa, Kes suspected it would actually be pretty tame. "He was just teasing. He'd never do that to you, and Harry would never let it happen. You know your father tends to exaggerate." 

"It'll be okay," Naomi said, taking Linnis' hand. "Our party was way better than theirs will be." They'd had their "hen party" the day before, a nice afternoon tea in a holodeck garden. 

"I know," Linnis said. "I guess I'm just a little nervous. Not about marrying Harry. Just about the ceremony." 

Kes decided not to tell Linnis that her future husband had been so nervous at Tom and Kes' wedding that he'd spilled champagne all over Tom. "So, what kind of accessories do you want? Shoes, veil, tiara?"

"Glass slippers, like Cinderella," Naomi said. "You'll look like a princess."

"As long as they're comfortable. No high heels. I want to be able to dance." Linnis studied her reflection in the mirror. "No veil, no tiara. I'll wear a crown of flowers from your garden in the Airponics bay."

"That sounds perfect," Kes said. 

And it was.

**Author's Note:**

> Harry's initials are canon. We never found out his middle name, but his middle initials are "S.L." — shown on the computer screen of his Starfleet records in "Non Sequitur." Though some early P/Kers decided that stood for "Stephen Liu," I personally think he has a traditional Chinese or Korean given name as a middle name, hence the two initials.
> 
> Though Memory Alpha gives Linnis' name as Linnis Paris, I don't think she was ever called anything but "Linnis" on-screen. Maybe, like Kes, she has just one name. Maybe she took her husband's name, and is Linnis Kim. 
> 
> But in my head canon, her full name is Linnis B'Elanna Kathryn Paris.


End file.
